Gaeriel Valerii
'''Gaeriel Valerii '''is a former professional limmie player and current head coach of the Bakura Miners. She has won the most Galactic Cups of Limmie of any being ever associated with the Miners: six (two as a player and four as a head coach). Transforming Midfielder Play Valerii was signed out of the University of Evenvale by head coach and general manager Dana Roslyn. The young prospect became an integral part of what became known as the "Roslyn Strong Midfield System," which reinvented the role of the midfielder as a fluid position that moved between a scoring threat and setup position for the traditional offense. In 252, this system powered a fifth seed Miners team to its first Galactic Cup championship in a quarter century. She was nominated for the Salbukk Award in 255 when the Miners led the league in point differential. Valerii became captain of the Miners in 256 upon the retirement of Declan Adama. Under her leadership, the Miners took home the Galactic Cup again in 259. Valerii retired upon the conclusion of the game, famously leaving her cleats on the field after the conclusion of the game and the Galactic Cup ceremony. Midfielders Coach After four years of retirement, Valerii approached her alma mater about the possibility of becoming their Midfielder's Coach. The Archers agreed and Valerii was part of four solid seasons, but the Archers never made the Carnation Bowl. However, Valerii caught the eye of Miners head coach Big John Talley, who brought her in to replace his previous Midfielders Coach in 267. Valerii brought the strong midfield system back to the Miners, this time equipped with Alana Glencross. However, the team could never break through under Talley. In what turned out to be Talley's last game as head coach in 270, Gaeriel pushed her coach to return Aron Rodders to his natural full forward position that he had played in college. Talley agreed and Rodders proceeded to destroy the Mando'ade Mercs in a 35-20 win. Head Coach Valerii's intuition and work as midfielder coach impressed second year general manager of the Miners Quinn Cundertol, who fired Talley at the conclusion of the head coach's contract. Cundertol's head coaching search include Gregg Macalpine of the Bakura Fleet Academy, Mergene Hedford of the University of Bakura, Salis D'aar, and Valerii. To the surprise of the media, Valerii was Cundertol's hire. Valerii barely qualified for the playoffs in her first season as head coach and then proceeded to drive the Miners all the way to a Galactic Cup championship against the Commissioner's Trophy-winning Vandelhelm Jets. In doing so, she tied her mentor Roslyn for the most Galactic Cups of any Bakura Miner. Ever since, the Miners have been competitive under Valerii's leadership. They have made the playoffs every season but 274 ABY. In 273, Valerii won her first Commissioner's Trophy as a head coach. In 275, the Miners won the Commissioner's Trophy and the Galactic Cup of Limmie in the same season, becoming one of the few head coaches to ever accomplish the feat, blowing out the Corellia Rebels in the Final. In 277, she nearly did it for a second time, but an obscurity in the Commissioner's Trophy rules handed the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers, whom the Miners had beaten earlier in the season, the Commissioner's Trophy. The Miners went on to win the Galactic Cup that season over the Mando'ade Mercs. In 278, the Miners captured their third Commissioner's Trophy under Valerii. In 283, Valerii went on strike in sympathy with the Miner players, who as members of the ELL players union joined a general strike on Bakura called by the Public Sector Workers of Bakura. Valerii recommended her former university teammate Dashric Stonlon to serve as interim head coach. Stonlon would win a record eight straight games to start the season with an all-rookie roster and go 8-3 on the season, losing the Galactic Cup Final to the Commissioner's Trophy-winning Carratos Pirates by 2 points. Valerii then went to the next two Finals in 284 (winning the Commissioner's Trophy that year) and 286, losing both times to the Mando'ade Mercs. The Miners missed the playoffs next year, but returned in 287, winning her fifth Commissioner's Trophy, setting a new record for offensive production, and winning the Galactic Cup, Valerii's sixth in her career. At the conclusion of the season, Valerii retired from coaching. Coaching Rivalries Early in her career, much was made out of the matchups between Pamila Korthe and Valerii, which was dubbed a rivalry. Ultimately, Valerii dominated the games by a 5-2 margin, including one playoff win in 271 over the Thyferra Force. One of Korthe's rare wins came in an upset of the Commissioner's Trophy-winning Miners in 273. Just as Korthe left the limmie scene, another coaching rival entered the scene. Romo Benedict Crowley III, also known as "the Badger," was hired as the head coach of the Rydonni Prime Monarchs. Since then, Valerii has gone 2-4 against Crowley's Monarchs, including two playoff losses. Valerii acknowledged after her top seeded Miners were upset in the Solo Conference Final in 278 that if anyone has a claim to be her "nemesis," it is the Badger. Awards Player * Salbukk Award (nominated: 255) * Commissioner's Trophy (255) Coach * Langann Award (won: 273, nominated: 272, 275, 277, 278, 287) * Commissioner's Trophy (273, 275, 278, 284, 287) Category:Bakura Miners Category:Coaches Category:Players